Appreciate your optimism but black conservatives have consistently lost statewide elections. Herschel Walker, Alan Keyes, the woman in AZ, Daniel Cameron, John James etc. Tim Scott was appointed. How many times do we have to get our asses kicked before we figure this out? Black conservatives won’t attract any blacks to vote for them, and some whites cross party lines and vote for the white Democrat.
It seems they can win statewide elections for Lt. Governor spots but that's about it.
Both Winsome Earle-Sears and Mark Robinson in neighboring North Carolina were elected for these token deputy positions. Robinson, of course, got clobbered when he ran for the top spot in 2024 and things aren't looking good for Earle-Sears right now.
So, your point still stands. We keep repeating this same pattern in the south and it almost never works out for us.
Tim Scott was appointed, but he was subsequently elected and reelected to his Senate seat. So there’s that.
JC Watts in Oklahoma and right now Byron Donalds. He may be the next Governor of Florida.
https://floridapolitics.com/archives/742966-poll-shows-byron-donalds-starts-with-6-point-lead-over-david-jolly-in-2026-governors-race/
The first campaign I worked for was Kenneth Blackwell, OH gov. 2006. Yeah, not so good. The Dems tore him up.